Apeks Flight Regulator

[ejenks48]

I am looking to buy a second regulator and the Apex flight looks like a good bet for travel. Has anyone got this regulator or can anyone advise me on Apex as I have only dived with Mares.

 

[Bubbletrubble]

Apeks makes great regs. I have no personal experience with the Flight reg, but I do own a couple Apeks reg setups: one ATX100/50/FST and one XTX200/50/FSR. Both breathe wonderfully.

The Apeks Flight reg is marketed as a "travel" reg, since it's lightweight and small.
The first stage is not environmentally sealed, so it probably wouldn't be ideal for use in very cold water.
The second stage has a proprietary reg hose attachment that can be hand-tightened. Although this makes it easier to remove/reattach the second stage from/to the reg hose, it also means that a standard reg hose cannot replace the existing one (in the unlikely event that the reg hose fails). It was an interesting design choice if you ask me.

I'd recommend testing out the reg before buying it if you have the chance.

 

[Capt Scotty]

I have a flight and love diving it. It doesn't breach like my tech 3 with wtx50's but is working great as a rec reg.

 

[Chuckitall]

I owned a Flight and returned it after two trips. It did not provide me enough air at 100 + ft while working and hunting. Still own two other Apeks regs, but would stay away from the Flight.

 

[JB]

I owned a Flight and returned it after two trips. It did not provide me enough air at 100 + ft while working and hunting. Still own two other Apeks regs, but would stay away from the Flight.

Thanks, first honest report I've heard on the flight. I wanted to buy one, but have not had good experiences with small 2nd stages, seem to breath badly. Logically this makes sense, smaller diaphragm, shorter leaver, so there has to be a mechanical disadvantage. The local stockist won't let me try one before buying, and so I haven't bought one, but every body swears that is such a good breather. Kind of everything made with an Apex lable is by definition good.
Since I carry my reg as hand luggage, weight is not that much of an issue anyway, and there are plenty of regs, within 500 grams of the flight. Miflex/Phantom hoses drop the weight of the reg considerably.
So I will stop lusting after a flight now!! Thanks again.

 

[scadreau]

I have a flight and have had no real problems with air delivery. My friend's Alternate is breathing hard at depth though. I did a few dives last weekend to 105 and never noticed any work of breathing changes.

The QD hose was a poor choice IMO because I can't switch hoses without getting the special hose.

The Flight is also not recommended for water 50* or below. I have personal experience with this. A couple weeks ago in 50* water I had a free flow.

 

[Chuckitall]

This isn't just me, I work at a dive shop and another PADI instructor bought one at the same time. He couldn't wait to return his. We dive in Jupiter,where every dive can be 80 +. We both felt we were breathing too hard to get air. Apeks states Flight has been tweaked since then, but don't know. We are on commercial dive boats almost everyday, but am not seeing any of the Flights yet.

Thanks, first honest report I've heard on the flight. I wanted to buy one, but have not had good experiences with small 2nd stages, seem to breath badly. Logically this makes sense, smaller diaphragm, shorter leaver, so there has to be a mechanical disadvantage. The local stockist won't let me try one before buying, and so I haven't bought one, but every body swears that is such a good breather. Kind of everything made with an Apex lable is by definition good.
Since I carry my reg as hand luggage, weight is not that much of an issue anyway, and there are plenty of regs, within 500 grams of the flight. Miflex/Phantom hoses drop the weight of the reg considerably.
So I will stop lusting after a flight now!! Thanks again.

 

[orenbvip]

I just got back from a 2 month trip and did around 100 dives with the flight. Had no problems whatsoever. I recommend it. I also went to 170ft in Komodo and it was nice and smooth. just my 2cents.

 

[Tortuga68]

The second stage has a proprietary reg hose attachment that can be hand-tightened. Although this makes it easier to remove/reattach the second stage from/to the reg hose, it also means that a standard reg hose cannot replace the existing one (in the unlikely event that the reg hose fails). It was an interesting design choice if you ask me

This put me off too, initially, because I wanted to run a 5' primary hose. Then I figured I could just buy a Flight pair, with the Flight as bungeed backup, and use an XTX second stage as my primary on a Miflex long hose

Partially defeats the purpose of the ultra lightweight rig, but long hose is more impotant to me overall, and it's still lighter & smaller than the FSR/XTX set I currently use for travel

I'm still thinking about it - on one hand, it's not a big difference; on the other, new toys are fun

 

[ReefhuggerJP]

I have a flight, I love it. Not just because its pink.
Coming from a Legend, it does breathe a bit stiffer but certainly nothing that would make me send it back.

I was not a superfan of the hose attachment. I feel it is unnecessary and if "the unlikely event" should occur, you could be S.O.L. As for using the XTX as your primary, one of the main reasons I love the Flight is that it doesn't feel like there is a second stage in your mouth. It's that light. JMO

It's got pros and cons, just like anything else, but I will NOT be trading mine in anytime soon